Precious-metal ware



Spt 1, I925; 1,551,637

- ;w. c. BOWLEN PRECIOUS METAL WARE Filed Nov. 3, 1.923

TIRE,

Q J M/INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

' WILLIAM c. BOWLEN, or HQLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

PRECIOUS-METAL WARE.

Application filedNovember 3, 1923-. Serial No. 672,677.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILL-IAM C. BOW'LEN, a.,citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of'Holyoke, in the county of Hampden' and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Precious-Metal Ware, of which the following is. a specification.

My invention relates .to improvements in candlesticks, vases, and other articlesor objects which, by reason of their height or otherwise,v need weighting or stabilizing in order to revent them from being overturned easily, and resides in providing such a candlestick, vase, or other article or object with a removable weight, plug,or stabilizer, the same usually being located in the lower portion orbaseof such object,,all as hereinafter set forth. K

As is well understood, it is customary to weight the lower parts or bases of candlesticks,.vases, and other more or less similar articles or obj ects, the materialused for that.

ur ose in recious metal ware such as ware made of gold or' silver, being a base metal-or something of little or no intrinsic value, a. mixture. of sand and paraffin frequently being employed. This base metal or material is permanently built into or sealed within the object, hence it is impossible, or in any event impracticable, to separate from the precious metal the stabilizing element, for the purpose of determining the exact weight and value of the former, or for any other purpose,"without destroying such object, The primary object of my invention,

therefore, is to produce a precious metal ware article which is a complete and'separate entity, and to provide such article with a removable member of base material for stabilizing purposes; It will be seen, then, that the base material can be separated from the previous metal, leaving the latter in con-, dition to be weighted and valued with absolute certainty. 1 Y

Another object is to provide for a precious metal ware articlea. base material stabilizer which not only can be connected with and.

removed from. said article at will, but is comparatively simple and inexpensive, convenient, and in no way detracts from the value and appearance of said article.

A further object is to afiord, in an article of the character described, simple and convenient engaging and releasing means,

whereby the base material stabilizer can be connected with and securedto the precious metalware article, and disengaged and removed therefrom; r

. Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description.

I attain the objects and secure the advantages of my invention by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 7 Figure l is a central, vertical section" through a candlestick in which is embodied a practical form of my invention; Fig. 2, a bottom plan of said candlestick, and, Fig. 3, a side elevation of the stabilizer.

7 Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, a candlestick is represented at l, and a weight, plug, or stabilizer at 2. It is assumed that the candlestick l is made of gold or silver, while the stabilizer 2 is made of lead or other base metal, mate: rial, or materials, it being obvious that the, stabilizer, in order to have practical utility, mustbe made of a material or materials of less intrinsic value than that of which the candlestick is constructed. I

The-candlestick 1 has a hollaw base 8, and in the present example is hollow throughout its entire length. Inside of the base 3,.integral therewith, and somewhat remote from or above the plane of the bottom edge thereof is an annular member etprovided with a horizontal, annular flange 5 and one or more, horizontal, arcuate lugsor lips 6. The lips 6. are formedfrom inner edge por tions of a flat, horizontal ring 71 integral with the member 4. Rising from the ring 7 is an annulus S at the top of which is the flange 5, said flange extending inwardly from-said annulus. There are here present two lips 6, and they are'oppositely disposed and extend inwardly from the junction 'of the annulus 8 with the ring 7 beneath the flange 5. An.annular groove is formed by the annulus 8 and the flange 5 and lips 6,: which groove opens downwardly between said lips. What may be termed the interior diameter of the lips 6 is less than that of the flange 5 in this case.

The weighted plug or stabilizer 2,.which, as hereinbefore stated or intimated, may be made of any suitable base material or materials and in any suitable manner, has a body which is adapted to pass through the flange which is 5, the lower portion of said body here being cylindrical as represented at 9. Surrounding the base or cylindrical part 9 of the stabilizer 2 is a flange 10, although such flange is not an absolutely necessary part of the invention, and preferably said stabilizer is provided on the bottom with a handle 11. Formed on the cylindrical part 9, immediately above the flange 10, is one or more arcuate flanges 12. There are here two oppositelydisposed flanges 12 and they project beyond both the cylindrical part 9 and the flange 10. The diameter of the cylindrical part 9 is approximately equal to the interior diameter of the flange 5, what may be termed the outer diameter of the flanges 12 is approximately equal to the interior diameter of the annulus 8, and the outer diameter of the flange 10 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the lips 6, while the thickness of said first-named flanges is approximately equal to the distance between said first-named flange and said lips.

The flanges 12 are separated by suflicient distance to receive between the ends thereof the lips 6, and said lips are separated a sufficient distance to receive between their ends said flanges.

In practice, the stabilizer 2 is thrust upwardly in the base of the candlestick through the flange 5, partially rotated to enable the lips (3 to pass between the flanges 12 and said flanges to pass between said lips, elevated or thrust still further into said base until said flanges 12 contact with said flange 5, and partially rotated in either direction to engage said flanges 12 with said lips above the latter, the handle 11 being meanwhile grasped to facilitate these operations. The stabilizer is thus held securely in place in the candlestick, and to all intents and purposes becomes a part of the same. The stabilizer, after being placed in position in the manner just explained, furnishes the necessary weight in the bottom of the candlestick to prevent in great measure the accidental upsetting, or the too easy overturning, of said candlestick.

To remove the stabilizer 2 from the candlestick 1, it is simply necessary to grasp the handle 11, partially rotate said stabilizer to unlock or disengage the flanges 12 from the lips 6, and withdraw said stabilizer entirely from the base 3.

It is not necessary, as hereinbefore intimated, that the number of the lips 6 and the number of the flanges 12 be in each case limited to two.

Although I have illustrated my invention in connection with a candlestick, it is to be understood that it is equally applicable to numerous articles or objects that may be described as tall and slender, and for which reason and because they are so light in weight or on some other account stand in need of a stabilizing element in the lower part thereof.

Changes in the shape, size, construction, and arrangement of some or all of the parts of the combined object and stabilizer, in addition to those hereinbefore specifically pointed out, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or exceeding the scope of what is claimed.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In precious metal ware, a precious metal ware object, a normally fixed base material stabilizer, and means to attach said stabilizer to and detach it from said object on the inside, whereby, when said stabilizer is detached from said object, the value of the object can be determined by weight.

2. In precious metal ware, a precious metal ware object, a normally fixed base material stabilizer, and means to attach said stabilizer to and detach it from the inside of the base of such object, whereby, when said stabilizer is detached from said object, the value of the object can be determined by weight.

3. In precious metal ware, a precious metal ware object, a normally fixed base material stabilizer concealed in said object, and interior and exterior engaging means with which said object and stabilizer are respectively provided whereby the latter may be engaged with and disengaged from the former, the construction and arrangement of parts being such that, when said stabilizer is detached froln said object, the value of the object can be determined by weight.

a. As an improved article of manufacture, an object, of the class described, which object is complete in itself, and a normally fixed stabilizer wholly within and distributed equally on all sides of the axis of said object, said object and stabilizer having means whereby the latter may be engaged with and disengaged from the former by rotating either or both.

5. As an improi'ed article of manufacture, an object, of the class described, hollow in the lower portion and provided inside, intermediate of the axis of said object and the periphery of said lower portion, with engaging members through which is an opening, and a stabilizer receivable in said opening and provided with engaging members to cooperate with said first-named engaging members to retain said stabilizer in place.

6. The combination, in precious metal ware, with an object having its lower portion hollow and provided with a flange above and a lip below, of a stabilizer provided with a flange adapted to engage said first-named flange when said stabilizer is inserted in said hollow portion and to be engaged with and disengaged from said lip. inserted in said hollow portion, and to be 7. The combination, in precious metal engaged with and disengaged from said lips, Ware, with an object having its lower porsaid stabilizer flanges and said lips being so 1 tion hollow and provided with a flange proportioned as to permit them to pass each 6 above and lips below, of a stabilizer proother when the stabilizer is positioned for vided with flanges adapted to engage said that purpose. first-named flange when said stabilizer is WILLIAM C. BOWLEN. 

